Walker's Eve
by Agnes Acacia
Summary: Eve lives alone. She is neither a leader, nor a follower. She's tried both, and failed. She avoids most people as a rule but when a group of survivors stumbles into her path, she feels compelled to help them. -Set just before reaching Terminus, right after Rick, Michonne and Carl meet up with Daryl. OC/Daryl possible romance, Rick/Michonne
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One: The Deer Stand

Eve stood back and surveyed her work proudly. It'd taken her almost three months, but she finally had the deer stand to her liking. She had it stocked with enough supplies for several weeks, including the dried and salted meat she had packed in a plastic bag hidden in an old cooler. The ladder was rickety, but light enough that she was able to rig a pulley device to bring it up after her. It was the fourth hideout she established in an eight mile radius toward the deserted town she got her supplies from, and it was by far her favorite. Whoever had built it long ago was not messing around. It was high. Really high. And in it she found a plethora of hunting supplies, including three wicked looking knives, skinning sheers, a large bag of salt and drying rack. All things she'd never used before _this_. But she'd learned quickly.

Eve climbed up the ladder to her elegant perch and readied herself for the cold night. December hit Georgia all at once this year, with brisk days and icy nights. She stocked up the deer stand with dozens of sleeping bags she'd spent all summer gleaning from the old Walmart in town. The deer stand had a small wood stove that was used to quicken the meat drying process and on especially cold nights, she lit that sucker up to keep warm. The deer stand was mostly covered, with chest high walls and a sturdy roof. She nailed up some heavy blankets around the open parts to keep the heat in and she'd reinforced a few timbers to be sure of the structure, but again, whoever built the thing in the first place wasn't messing around. It was a thing of beauty, and Eve thanked her lucky stars everyday that she found it.

From the vantage point she could spot trouble from miles around, and the stand was high enough and camouflaged enough that the likelihood of being spotted by another human was slim. And if someone did spot her, well she always had her bow.

Night folded around her like a velvet blanket and she settled into her nest of sleeping bags. She supped on a can of peaches and a dried piece of meat from her cooler, washing it down with a few cups of water from the jugs she had stored in the corner. The one downside of the deer stand was its rather limited size. She couldn't stay there for long without having to seek out more supplies. There just wasn't the room to keep it all. But then, that's what her other hideouts were for.

Before going to sleep she checked to make sure all her alarms were set in place. She had trip wires all over the territory she'd claimed that would alert her to any walkers or people nearby. She attached the hook to the cord around her neck and shut her eyes,.

She woke sometime later to the gentle tugging of the cord The tugging that meant someone, or something was in her territory. She tried not to be alarmed. This happened at least once a night, though she'd designed the trip wires for human legs, animals sometimes triggered them. Reluctantly she rolled out of her bundle and grabbed her bow. Gently pushing aside the makeshift curtain, she peered out.

It was a bright night, the moon hung high in the sky, sending full and plump rays onto the forest floor. In the distance Eve could make out a small group of walkers rambling around, seemingly aimless in the woods. But then their faces turned toward her, as if they could smell her. No, they heard something. A rustling coming from just east of her deer stand. She turned toward the source of the sound and saw a group of survivors taking out a few walkers. They were quiet, experienced, but in the deep night, their every movement was heard through the trees. The small herd was making its way closer to the people and they were oblivious to the danger.

Normally Eve would have just watched the scene unravel. She'd had her fair share of helping people and being rewarded with attempts of sabotage and takeover. She had worked hard for all that she had, and somehow people always thought they could take it. No, not this time. She learned her lesson many times over.

Eve grabbed a pair of binoculars from her pack and inspected the humans further. There were four of them. Three men and a woman. No, wait. Two men, and one kid. But the kid was holding his own, that was clear. Eve couldn't help but be impressed as he expertly knifed down a walker. And the woman, woah. Was that sword? The herd was upon them now and it looked like it was getting desperate. Eve thought about trying to help, but she still didn't want to draw attention to herself. If these people had gotten this far alive, chances were they would survive this. . Eve felt another tug on her neck, alerting to her a second trip wire that'd been kicked. She scanned the distance and felt her blood run cold. A herd. A huge herd. Heading in their direction. But no, they were going just west of her hut and west of the survivors. They would miss them if they kept on that way.

Eve looked back at the survivors. They were getting swarmed now. The kid looked like he was hurt. Oh god, bitten? No, there was a bandage around his leg,. An old wound then. Uh oh, one of the guys took out his gun. If he shot that, that whole herd would head their way. Might even tear down her deer stand. Eve cocked an arrow. Before the guy could fire his weapon Eve shot down the walker about the attack the kid. The guy looked up and after a moment of scanning, he saw her.

Eve pulled down the ladder to her nest and slid down it. She sprinted toward the group that was still fighting for their lives, killing walkers as she went.

Once she reached them, she still hesitated. They looked like they'd been through hell. There was a guy with a crossbow that was so bruised and bloody, it was obvious he'd been beaten lately. And the other guy...he lad blood on his chin. Like he'd literally torn someone's throat out. Eve's hesitation only lasted a second or two, until she looked at the kid. No kid should have to live like that, or die like this. Whoever these people were, she couldn't watch a kid get killed.

"Follow me," she said, her voice a harsh whisper. "There's a herd heading this way, so be quiet." She saw the men exchange looks before hurrying after her. She shot down a few walkers that were hovering near her stand and when they reached the ladder she made the kid go first. "Can you make it up there with your leg?" she asked.

The kid nodded and began to climb. "You next," she said to the lady with the sword. The man with the crossbow followed and before the second man could climb up the ladder, Eve leveled him with a glare. "You listen to me," she growled, grabbing his shoulder. "If you or any of your people try anything, I will not hesitate to kill you. I just saved your lives back there. Don't make me regret it."

The guy locked his eyes with hers and nodded.

Once they were all up in the stand, they stood at the windows and watched the walkers amble through the woods. There were hundreds of them.

"Thank you," the last guy said again. "You really did save us." Eve nodded.

"I'm Rick," he said. "This here's my son Carl," he pointed to the kid.

"Michonne," the woman said, stepping forward.

"Daryl," the guy with the crossbow grunted. He was still watching the walkers through the window.

"I'm Eve." She put her bow back on its stand and cleaned off her knife before putting it back in its sheath on her hip. "You all hungry?" She nudged the cooler with the dried meat toward the kid and took out a few cans of fruit. "Help yourself."

The kid looked at his dad who nodded before digging in. The rest followed suit. After they'd eaten, Eve pulled out her first aid kit. It was pretty basic. She had a lot more medical supplies back at her cellar. But it'd have to do. "You all need to clean yourselves up. Those wounds look pretty bad. Especially you," she nodded at Daryl.

"What happened to your leg?" she asked Carl. She settled in front of him holding a bottle of peroxide.

"We were attacked," Rick spoke up from the corner. "By people," he clarified.

Eve nodded. "There's no law here anymore. People think they can take what they want." She moved to start tending to Carl's wounds and he flinched back. "It's okay," she said. "I used to be a nurse." It was only a small lie. The cut was short, but deep. It'd need stitches. The kid put on a pretty brave face as she stitched him up. "How old are you?" she asked him.

Carl looked up. "Thirteen."

The peroxide bubbled and hissed on his dirty leg. She salved it up with neosporin and put large bandage over it. "That should do for now, but you'll need to keep it clean so it doesn't fester. Here." She handed him a bottle of vitamins. "Take two right now, your body needs it. Then take one a day until the bottle's empty."

"But it's yours," Carl protested.

Eve smiled. "It's fine." The truth was, she had a stockpile of vitamins in the cellar. But she wasn't telling them that. Not yet.

"Who's next?" She asked. "You?" She pointed at Daryl, the one with the crossbow. He hadn't moved from his vigil by the window, but he finally looked at her.

"You've got a nice set up here, dontcha?"

Eve stiffened. It was exactly what Marv had said right before he tried to kill her. She eyed the crossbow again. It was beaten up, but she had no doubt this man knew how to use it. She felt a cold discomfort rolling in her stomach. Why in the world had she decided to help them? Just because they had a kid? Kids could be just as dangerous as adults. What was she thinking?

Daryl dropped his crossbow and moved toward her. He took Carl's place and pointed to a large gash on his cheek. "Think you can stitch this up too?"

Eve gulped. She was nervous but moved steadily, wiping his face with peroxide and sterilizing the needle before stitching the gash closed. It was bad, but it would heal. Looked like the kind of cut made by the butt of a shot gun. She was real familiar with those kind of cuts. She had a scar on her own temple from Marv's heavy handed club. She shivered, thinking of him again.

Daryl noticed. He looked up and held her eyes. Something strange passed between them. Something Eve couldn't describe. All she knew was that her fears of this man evaporated in that gentle stare. She felt calm for the first time since she invited them in.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two: The Cellar

The arrow made a suctioned noise as Eve pulled it from the corpse's eye socket. She remembered a time when such things would have sent her keeling, leaving a trail of vomit in her wake. It was amazing the things a person could get used to.

The morning dawned bright and cold, a trail of mist following the path behind the walkers' heels. Eve had watched the last of the herd disappear over the horizon before she headed down to collect her arrows. She left the strangers sleeping in her lofted safe house, curled up in the sleeping bags she provided, it was as if they hadn't slept in weeks. Which after she thought about it, they probably hadn't. They told her a little of their story last night, about how they were living in a prison with a larger group of people before it was ransacked by someone called the governor, and became overrun with walkers. They lost a lot of people, that was clear. And there was a lot of pain around the whole ordeal. Pain that was still fresh and gaping. Eve could relate.

After gathering the last of her arrows, Eve climbed back up the ladder to find that the rest of the group had begun to rise. Daryl and Rick were awake and rubbing their eyes, talking in hushed tones with Michonne who had already rolled up her sleeping bag and doing stretches on the floor. The kid, Carl, was still just a ball in the sleeping bag, his form rising and falling in slumber. The talking hushed as Eve entered the hut. She stood there awkwardly for a moment before thrusting a handful of bolts at Daryl.

"Here," she said. "I think these are yours."

Daryl took the offering and nodded his thanks.

Rick spoke up, taking charge. It was obvious he was the leader of this group. A good leader, Eve could see. But she didn't do well with leaders.

"Just as soon as the boy is up, we'll be on our way," Rick said. "Thank you again for all your help."

Eve didn't expect that. She was expecting him to ask to stay, to ask for supplies. She was readying herself for a fight. Instead, she was taken aback. She blinked. "Where will you go? You told me last night that your home was destroyed."

Rick hesitated. "We're heading to Terminus. I'm sure you've seen the signs."

Eve glared. Of course she'd seen the signs. "I'm not sure that's a good idea."

Rick stiffened. "Why?"

Eve thought for a moment before she answered. She didn't exactly have a good reason, just that she'd seen people heading that way before, and she never saw them again. Sure, that could mean they were nestled safely behind Terminus' promised sanctuary. But something about it just felt foreboding. "I just have a feeling about the place," she finally said lamely.

Rick relaxed. He didn't take her seriously. "We don't have much choice," he said. "You saw us out there. We need to find shelter soon or else we'll never make it. If it weren't for you, we'd be dead. How many more times will we survive out here on our own? We need sanctuary. We have no other choice."

Eve bit her tongue. She was about to offer them sanctuary with her. But she still wasn't sure. Doing so was a huge risk, and she still didn't know anything about these people. Just then a groan erupted from the bulging sleeping bag that held Carl. Rick went to him.

"Carl," Rick said. "Rise and shine buddy."

Carl didn't speak, but Eve could hear his teeth chattering. "God, you're burning up," Rick muttered.

Eve stepped forward. "Let's see that leg," she said.

Carl wriggled out of the sleeping bag and held out his leg. The bandage was yellow with pus and when Eve

removed it, she almost gagged on the smell. Her fears had been realized. The wound was festering. Ugh, how long had he been wearing that dirty bandage before she dressed the wound?

"This isn't good," Eve said. "He's got an infection. It might be blood poisoning." Eve looked up at Rick and cursed herself. She should have been a little less blunt judging by the naked fear on Rick's face. "Look," she said. "I've got some medicine that will help him. But he's gonna need a lot of rest and fluids. I don't think we can move him." Carl groaned again.

Eve thought of the cellar and it's stock of antibiotics. She could be there in back in a matter of hours. But did she leave them here, alone, with all her supplies and weapons, and trust them to drop the ladder when she came back? She looked at the boy again. He was pretty sick. She looked at the concerned looks on Michonne and Daryl's faces. She didn't think they would just let him die. She couldn't either. She'd already come this far to save the kid. It didn't make sense to quit now.

"The medicine isn't here," she continued. "I need to go get it." She glanced around, looking for her bow and pack.

"I'll go with you," Daryl spoke up, his crossbow already in his hand. Eve hesitated. Did she trust this guy to

be alone with her? She looked him up and down. He still looked pretty beat up. She evaluated his weaknesses, still strong enough to fight, but weak enough that she could escape him if he tried anything. She nodded. She could use his help anyway. If she wanted to move quickly, she couldn't afford to be as careful as she usually was. Having another set of eyes would be pretty helpful. Especially if there were any stragglers left over from the herd last night. She eyed the crossbow. It wasn't much different than her bow, though she would have liked to see that sword in action again. But judging by the concern in Michonne's eyes, Eve was pretty sure she wouldn't be leaving that kid's side.

"Okay," she said, grabbing her bow. "Here," she said, turning to Rick. She handed him some tylenol from her back. "This should help with the fever. There's water in the corner. Keep trying to get him to drink as much as possible." She grabbed an empty back and slipped it over her shoulders. "We'll be back in a few hours." She showed him how to pull up the ladder and how to drop it down again once they returned.

Together she and Daryl made their way through the woods. Eve wasn't the best at navigation, so she had various pointers set up to lead her. She was very careful. It only took once getting lost in the woods for her to figure out a system to find her way. She kept quiet about it though. She didn't want Daryl knowing all her secrets. He was quiet for the most part. He followed her directions without complaint and once or twice alerted her to a sounds she hadn't heard.

They came across a walker that was caught in one of her trip wires. The thing bobbed angrily until Eve shot an arrow through its head. "Give me a hand here," she told Daryl as she started pulling the corpse away. He took a leg and together they hauled it to the side. Eve couldn't help but notice that Daryl inspected the face of the walker, as if he was looking for someone he knew.

Eve started resetting the trip wire. It was a simple contraption: just a length of barb wire about waist high that connected to a fishing line that fed through the trees back to her deer stand. As Eve worked she caught sight of Daryl inspecting the trap. She heard him grunt in satisfaction.

"Not bad," he said. "You a hunter before all this?"

Eve laughed. "I was about the furthest thing from a hunter before all this." She didn't elaborate, and Daryl didn't ask her to. Once her mechanism was set back up Daryl started to walk in the direction they'd been headed.

"Hey, not so fast," Eve called. She reached down and grabbed one of the walker's legs and began dragging it along. "A little help would be nice."

Daryl gave her a puzzled look. "What, you gonna mount this thing on your wall or something?"

Eve smiled wryly. "You'll see."

He shrugged and took a leg. They pulled the corpse another mile or so before Eve stopped it "Alright, we are getting close. Here," she handed him a black bandana from her bag. "You're gonna need this." She took out her own bandana and wrapped it around her nose and mouth. Daryl looked confused, but obeyed.

They walked a little ways further and Eve could practically feel the stink washing over her. They got in sight of her cellar and she heard Daryl gag. There were bodies. Hundreds of walker bodies surrounding the perimeter of the cellar.

"It keeps other walkers away," Eve said before he could ask.

"No, I get it," Daryl said. "Doesn't make it any less sick."

They dropped the fresh corpse along the perimeter and stepped over a pile of bodies. The cellar belonged to an old farm house just a few yards away, but the house was halfway burned down and unlivable. After clearing out whatever supplies she could salvage, Eve had come across the cellar. It was dank and cold, but it was secure. The only problem was that when she would come up ,walkers were always waiting for her. That's when she found that the more she killed and left out, the less walkers came her way. The corpse smell covered up her scent. But the thing about decomposing bodies is that they stink. Bad. Almost unbearable. That's why she didn't spend much time at the cellar. It was basically her storage bunker; where she kept cans of food, water, and medical supplies.

Once they were inside, Eve went right to her medication shelf and started sorting through bottle after bottle of pills. She finally found a bottle of penicillin and tossed it in her pack. She grabbed a few more bottles of tylenol and four bottles of vitamins. She tossed one to Daryl. "You should take these too," she said, gesturing to his wounds.

He looked at the bottle. "I've never taken vitamins in my whole life."

Eve just shrugged. "Suit yourself. They're yours if you want them."

Daryl shook his head, but pocketed the bottle nonetheless.

"We'll need more food, if you all are going to be sticking around for a while," Eve said, moving over to her shelf of canned goods. She started adding cans of vegetables and soup to her pack. Though she still had plenty, she was already making plans to head back into town for another food run.

"Why are you helping us?" Daryl asked suddenly. Eve turned and saw him standing with two cans of corn beef hash in his hand. His face looked awe-struck. As if he'd never seen so much food and supplies in one place.

Eve shrugged again. "I don't know. I probably shouldn't. I've seen first hand what kind of people survive in this world. It's not the honest ones, I'll tell you that."

Daryl got a haunted look on his face. "I knew someone who used to say that there will still good people left out there. I guess we finally found one."

Eve gave him a small, sad smile. "She's dead?"

Daryl looked away. "No. She's just gone."

Eve frowned but didn't ask any more questions. They all had lost people, but judging by the guilt swimming in Daryl's eyes, this was different. He blamed himself for whatever happened to this girl. Eve felt a soft pain in her chest, like his sadness was opening something inside of her.

"I wasn't always alone like this," Eve offered, crossing her arms and leaning against the wall. "About a year ago, I was with a group. There were six of us in all, and somehow without me even realizing it, I was thrust into this leadership role. I didn't want it, but after I made a few decisions, things just started getting put on me. Like I was supposed to know what to do at all times. I had to put all my insecurities aside and lead, even when I wasn't sure what to do, I had to pretend. And It was the hardest thing I've ever done because people like me, well...we aren't meant to be leaders. Maybe we're meant to be loners, because I was never good at following other people either. But as a leader, I made a few bad decisions and a few of my people got killed. And that's my fault. I'll never forgive myself for that."

Daryl was silent for a moment. "What happened to them?" he finally asked.

Eve shrugged and studied her feet. "The same thing that happens to everyone."

Eve didn't see it happen, but when she looked up, Daryl was next to her. "It couldn't have been your fault," he said. "You did all you could to protect them."

Eve gave another small, sad smile. "Just like it isn't your fault."

Daryl nodded sadly. "Doesn't make her any less gone."

He was so close to her now, she could practically count his eyelashes. A familiar heat spread through her. She'd been alone for so long. The desire for him to touch her was so strong it was almost shocking. She gulped and looked away. What was wrong with her? He was obviously pining after a lost loved one and all she could think about to jumping his bones on the dirty floor of the cellar. _Get it together,_ she thought. _You just met the guy. He could be making plans to kill you right now. _But not for the first time, Eve started thinking about how little life was worth if you were alone. All she would have to do was lean forward and press her lips against his. Something told her he was just as lonely as she was. She doubted he would say no. She closed her eyes and inched forward, her lips parted and…

A loud thunk sounded on the metal cellar door.

Eve's eyes snapped open as a familiar voice said. "Evie, I know you're in there."

**Reviews are welcome! Thanks for reading. **


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three: Marv

"Come on, sweetie, open up."

That voice. It made Eve's blood run cold. He knees locked up and her stomach lurched. How could _he_be here. How did he find her? How was he even _alive_? She cut a glance at Daryl who had gone completely still. She put a finger to her lips and he nodded.

Another thunk sounded from above.

Eve dropped her bow on the cement floor. Instead, she armed herself with her hunting knife. If she was going to confront Marv, it would be up close and personal. Besides, he would likely try to tackle her which would render the bow useless. In a matter of seconds she went through a dozen different scenarios of how Marv would try to get the better of her. She gripped her knife.

"Evie," Marv taunted. "I just want to talk. Open up."

Eve glanced at Daryl again. She didn't want to get him involved with this. It was her fight. She put her hand up as if to say, 'stay here.' Daryl frowned and shook his head. "I'm coming with you."

"No," she hissed back. "Just stay out of sight until we find out what he wants. I'll yell if I need your help."

That seemed to satisfy him. He nodded once, though he didn't look happy about it. Eve ascended the stairs and paused just outside the cellar door. She could hear Marv moving around at the surface, his heavy feet clumping across the ground. But she knew better than to think he was slow. He wasn't. But the good new was that he sounded alone. She took a deep breath and pushed on the cellar door.

She pushed hard, and the door caught him in the shoulder before he could react. She pounced out of the hole and onto even ground as fast as she could. He righted himself quick enough and turned to face her. He looked the same as he did a year ago, tall and blonde, a short stubble lining his square jaw. His blue eyes were as piercing as she remembered, only now she felt a sinister chill crawl up her spine.  
>"What are you doing here?" Eve said, her voice curt.<p>

"What? I can't visit an old friend?" Marv held his hands up in surrender. "Woah, easy now," he said eyeing her knife. "What's that all about?"

Eve glared. "The last time I saw you, you tried to kill me."

"Aw, come on now Eve. That was just a joke. Lighten up."

"A joke, huh?" Eve let out a bark of humorless laughter. "Some joke." So he was going to pretend the whole thing just never happened. "Well I hope you had a good laugh when you were bleeding out. How did you manage to survive, anyway. I thought I got you pretty good the last time."

Marv rubbed a hand across his throat. Eve saw a jagged scar on his neck, red and angry even after all this time. She couldn't help the grim satisfaction that came with it.

"I forgive you for that, by the way," Marv said nonchalantly.

"I'm not sorry."

"Come on Eve, I didn't come here to fight."

"Why did you come?" Eve gripped her knife.

"Just to see how you were, of course. I've been looking for you for some time now." Marv started circling her. He seemed calm, but Eve had known him long enough to be know this was the calm before the storm. She glanced at the cellar door. It was still open and she knew Daryl was lying in wait, ready to attack if she asked it of him. Her quick glance didn't go unnoticed by Marv. "I'm also running short on supplies. I'll just take a few things and be on my way. "

Eve glared. "Like hell you will."

"Don't be selfish, I'm dying out there."

"You chose to leave!" she nearly shouted. "I would have shared all of it with you, but you chose those ...savages! over me. Where are they anyway? Your pack? Did they abandon you already?"

Marv grimaced. "That's in the past."

"Ha! Not nearly. Leave or I swear I'll-"

"You'll what?" Marv asked, his voice no longer honey sweet. "You couldn't kill me before, Eve. You won't be able to do it now. We've got too much history between us."

Eve gritted her teeth and set her jaw. She realized then that if she let him live again, he would never leave her alone. She would never be safe. He'd always be watching. She couldn't let him leave here alive.

He seemed to realize her resolve because he chose that moment to pounce. He unslung his shotgun that had been hanging on his back, but before he could level it at her, Eve kicked the barrel to the side. A shot rang out as a bullet narrowly missing her. She didn't hesitate in leaping forward with her knife. She'd managed a swipe at Marv's chest before he tossed her aside like a ragdoll. She let out a strangled cry as she fell, and she saw Daryl charging from cellar. He shot a bolt that caught Marv in the shoulder, but Marv recovered quickly and aimed his shotgun at Daryl. Eve leapt up, her head still swimming and tackled Marv from behind. Her small weight didn't do much, but she did manage to give Daryl enough time to move aside before the bullet pierced him. She'd dropped her knife when Marv pushed her down, and now she was armed with only her fingernails. She dug her fingers into the tender flesh at his neck and he let out an irritated scream. His elbow connected with her head and she fell, hard. As she was struggling for breath another shot went off from Marv's shotgun and Eve felt heat along her ribcage.

The pain would come later.

She kicked out and stumbled to her feet. A trail of blood ran down her side. Marv was about to shoot gain

when an arrow pierced him through the head. He seemed to freeze mid step, and Eve watched the light leave his eyes. He fell, one last time. Daryl stood behind him, his crossbow poised.

Eve stared at him gratefully before she doubled over, the wound on her side flaring its angry head. Daryl was beside her in an instant. He began leading her back down into the cellar when she stopped and looked back at Marv one last time. She felt her throat constrict. He really was dead.

Daryl followed her gaze. "Who was that?" he finally asked.

"My brother."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four: Brothers

The bullet had just grazed Eve's side so patching it up wasn't too terrible. It still hurt like hell though, and Daryl wasn't much of a seamstress. His sutures were uneven, but tight and Eve was just grateful that she didn't have to do it herself. He worked with quiet concentration and she was doing her best not to cry out with each pull and tug of skin. When he was done she leaned back on the lone army cot and told Daryl she just needed to rest a moment before they headed back to the others.

She closed her eyes and concentrated on breathing. If she let herself think about Marv too much, she would dissolve into a puddle of tears. The betrayal she felt back when he first tried to kill her almost made her lose her mind. Now all those feelings were torn back open and she went back to that fateful night when he'd attacked her out in the woods while his cronies raided her supplies and butchered her people. She felt a tear leak out of the side of her eye. It rolled down her cheek at an agonizing pace, and he longed to wipe it away, but she didn't want Daryl to see.

"I had a brother," Daryl's voice filled the small space and echoed in the cellar. Eve opened her eyes and looked at him. He was watching her. No doubt, the tear had not escaped his notice. "He was a mean son of a bitch," Daryl continued. "But I followed him everywhere. He was the only one who ever cared about me." Daryl wiped at his face, as if talking about his brother was physically painful.

"What happened to him?" Eve asked.

He shrugged and looked at her. "The same thing that happens to everybody."

Eve bit her lip. "Marv was my step-brother really. And when we were teenagers, well my dad kicked him out of the house after he caught Marv in my bedroom. We were...intimate…" Eve looked away, all that old shame creeping back up. She looked at Daryl's judgeless eyes and continued. "I never saw him just, left. Moved away. He was seventeen and had already dropped out of school. I was heartbroken." Eve sat up,. feeling vulnerable on the cot. "Then all this happened," she gestured widely. "And I was with my group, living in an old warehouse down near Charlottesville when he just showed up one day. It was bizarre. Like we were meant to find each other. I thought everyone I knew was dead, so it just felt so good seeing someone from my old life. Like waking up, you know? But he was with a group of men, and against my better judgement I let them stay. At first everything was fine. They contributed, hunted and took guard duty seriously. They obeyed my rules and listened to me. But then one day Marv and I were out in the woods hunting when he turned on me. I only just escaped him and by the time I got back to the warehouse, it had been taken over. My people were either dead, or gone. And I was alone." Eve took a deep breath. "I guess I've been alone ever since."

Daryl studied her for a long moment after she finished. "You're not alone anymore," he said.

When they finally exited the cellar the second time, there were a few walkers waiting for them. The gunfire and commotion must have attracted them. Too sore to do much, Eve strung her bow and took down two while Daryl took down the rest.

When they walked past Marv's body Eve tried not to look at it for too long. His face had purpled in death, and his blood had soaked into the earth like dark wet paint. She shuddered.

Eve led the way back to the deer stand. She was slow moving as each step pulled at her stitches. Daryl didn't rush her even though he carried the pack with most of their supplies. Eve carried the medicine, insisting it was lighter than the food and that she could handle it. In reality, she wanted to be sure he wouldn't desert her. Though he'd saved her life, she still couldn't completely trust him. Not yet.

When they reached the deer stand Eve called up to Rick to drop the ladder. When he peered out she she his eyes go wide at the side of her bloodied form. He dropped the ladder and she ascended, Daryl closely behind.

"What happened?" Rick demanded once they'd reached the top. Eve grunted as she righted herself and stood. Her side was burning, a constant reminder that of what had just happened, and how Daryl saved her life.

"Someone from my old group attacked me," Eve said simply. "He's dead now."

Rick looked at Daryl who nodded. "Is anyone else going to be trying to attack you?"

"I-I don't know.." Eve answered truthfully. She breathed deeply, trying to ease the pain in her side. "I think he was alone, but I can't be sure."

Rick glanced at Carl. He was still burrowed under the sleeping bag. Eve dug in her bag and brought out the penicillin. She handed it to Rick who immediately began rousing Carl to feed him the pills.

"Are you okay," Michonne asked Eve, eyeing the wound at her side.

"It's just a scratch," Eve answered and Daryl scoffed.

"She got shot," he announced.

"I'm fine."

"You don't look fine," Michonne chimed in. "You should lie down. It looks like you've lost a lot of blood."

Eve hesitated. It'd been a long time since anyone tried to care for her.

She obeyed and laid down. Before she fell asleep, she was aware of Daryl watching her, his blue eyes burrowing into her as if he was trying to see her soul and to heal her wounds.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five: The Sign**

A week went by and Eve and Carl healed from their respective wounds. Carl's leg was still tender, but the penicillin had done its work and his fever was down. He was weak, but he would live. Eve's side was healing nicely, but due to the hack job Daryl had done with the stitches, she'd have a wicked scar.

With four extra mouths to feed, Eve's food supply was way down, even with the extra canned goods she'd brought back from the cellar. On the seventh day, Eve and Daryl agreed to go on a hunt. Carl begged to go along, stating that he'd been cooped up for too long and needed to stretch his legs. Since he hadn't left the deer stand since they arrived, Rick agreed. "Stay close to Daryl and Eve," he warned before they left. "And listen to what they say."

Daryl, Eve and Carl headed out to the woods and Eve showed them a few of her snares she'd had set up. She shot a few squirrels with her bow and even let Carl try it a few times. Daryl brought down two rabbits and a mud snake. They built a fire and set about skinning and drying the meat. It was a nice, warm day for December and it felt good to be out of the little hut and in the open.

"You know, I used to be a vegetarian," Eve said midway through skinning a squirrel. "If you can believe it."

Carl laughed. "No way!"

Eve nodded. "Yep. A lot's changed since then." She held up a handful of guts and shook it at Carl menacingly. He laughed and pulled away.

Daryl grinned at her over his own squirrel. He'd taught her a lot about tracking in the past few hours and she was looking forward to learning more from him.

During the past week Daryl had been particularly attentive to her. She wasn't sure if it was because he felt responsible for her, considering he'd been present during the attack and death of Marv, or if it was something else. The hut didn't offer much privacy and Daryl wasn't exactly up front about his feelings. She'd been battling her own emotions lately as well. She'd made mistakes with Marv. A lot of them. And she wasn't sure she could handle another man right now. Or even ever.

But that didn't stop her body from yearning for him. She practically melted under his smile.

When they'd finished gutting and skinning their kills, they packed up the meat and headed back to the deer stand. They'd gone a good distance that day so Eve led the group on a little shortcut back to the stand. They crossed a small meadow that came out near the railroad tracks and as they were making their way across them, Carl called out, "Daryl! Look! It's Maggie!"

Eve looked at Daryl who had frozen in his tracks. It looked like all the blood had drained from his face. Eve jogged over to Carl who was pointing at one of those Terminus signs. A walker was dead at the edge of the sign and someone had used its blood to write a message.

GlENN, GO TO TERMINUS. -MAGGIE, SASHA, BOB

"Oh my God," Eve heard Daryl say from behind her. "They're alive."

Carl looked back, a grin lighting up his face. "They're alive!"

Dary stepped forward and touched the blood. "It's still wet," he said. "I'd say they were here just a few hours ago. "Our people," he said to Eve. "They're heading to Terminus."

"We have to go after them," Carl practically yelled.

Daryl paused. "Let's go talk to your dad and Michonne about it."

Carl nodded and started running.

Eve jogged silently behind Daryl, her feelings a swarm inside her. She was happy for them, knowing that at least some of their group was still alive, but at the same time she didn't want them to leave. She'd grown attached to this little family, and without knowing it, she'd been planning for a future with them.

When they got back to the hut Carl was practically bouncing with excitement . He called up to Rick to send down the ladder. Carl clambered up with Daryl on his heels.

"They're alive," Carl repeated for Rick and MIchonne. "Maggie, Sasha, and Bob are alive, and probably others!"

"Woah, slow down," Rick said. "What happened now?" He looked to Daryl and Eve to explain.

"There's a sign out there on the tracks," Daryl began. "From Maggie to Glenn, telling him to head to Terminus."

"Terminus." Rick said. He looked thoughtful.

Eve's stomach flip flopped. The mention of Terminus again sent a chill through her. She didn't know why, but those signs just felt wrong.

"Well, that was always the plan," Rick concluded. "I guess we'll head for Terminus. How far would you say we are from there?" he asked Daryl.

"Maybe a day," Dayl answered.

"Then we'll leave at first light," Rick decided. He looked at Eve. "That is, if it's okay if we stay another night."

Eve flushed under his gaze. "Of course," she said. "You can stay as long as you want. I've told you that."

Rick nodded gratefully.

"Come with us," Daryl said suddenly.

Eve hesitated. She'd worked hard to set up the safehouses here. Her cellar with all its supplies, the deer stand and its safety, not to the mention the garage with all its space. She couldn't just leave it all. Especially to go to Terminus, a place that gave her the chills to even think about. No, she went against what her gut told her in the past, and look where it got her. She had to trust herself on this one.

She shook her head. "I just can't."

The disappointment in Daryl's eyes almost undid her. She really felt something blossoming between them, and she felt robbed that he was leaving before they could fully get there.

She shook her head again, this time to convince herself. Daryl looked away and began making plans with Rick and Michonne. Eve set about loading up a few packs with food for their journey, tears just a breath away from spilling over.

That night Eve was laying in her sleeping bag, relishing the soft snoring sounds coming from her companions. Tomorrow, they would be gone and she would be alone again. She thought again about going to Terminus with the group. She could do it. She could leave all this and go out of the road. It was a risk. A huge risk. They could be attacked on the road by walkers, or people. They could starve, or get lost, or be eaten. She didn't survive this long by taking risks like that. And then there was that sick feeling she got in her stomach whenever she thought of Terminus. No, she shouldn't go. And neither should they. She looked up at the sleeping forms of her new friends and fought the urge to shout at them. _Stay here, you fools!_ she wanted to scream. _Everything you need is here. Just stay!_

But she wasn't their leader. And she didn't want to be. The only thing she could do was offer them a place to return if things got bad and give them all the supplies they could carry. Yes, she resolved herself. That was all she could do.

She was just about to doze off when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She opened her eyes to find Daryl hovering above her.  
>"Hey," she whispered. "What is it?"<p>

Daryl had moved his sleeping bag next to hers and laid down beside her. He placed his face mere inches from hers so they could speak quietly without the others waking up.

"Are you sure you won't come with us tomorrow?" Daryl's voice was feather light in the darkness, barely a breath, but Eve could hear him clearly.

She bit her lip. "That place doesn't seem right."

Daryl thought for a moment, then shook his head. "But our people are there. If it does turn out to be a bad place, we need to get them out. Besides, how could we live with ourselves if we didn't at least look? I get that you don't know them and you owe them nothing, so I'm not going to beg you to go. It's dangerous. I just want you to know that if you're tired of being alone, you can come with us."

Eve nodded. Her stomach churned with the dilemma. Should she go? Yes, it was a risk, but was it worth it to have the chance at being part of a group again? To be with Rick, Carl, and Michonne.. and Daryl. Sure, she could die. But what kind of life was she living anyway? Alone and constantly afraid. At least with a group they could be afraid together. And Rick was clearly the leader. She wouldn't have to make decisions that affected the lives of everyone else. But that also meant obeying when she didn't agree. She wasn't sure she could do that .

She was sorting through all these thoughts when Daryl inched his face forward. Before she could think about what was happening, he grabbed her face and pulled it to him. He pressed his lips against hers, and where she always imagined this moment would be tender and gentle, she was surprised at how rough he was. His body was pressed against hers and she felt his teeth scraping her lips, he was kissing her so hard. She gripped his shoulders and kissed him back, amazed and pleased that this was actually happening. She felt her body respond to his in a way she hadn't felt in a long time. She'd been so alone, just his touch was sending her out of control. She started tearing at his clothes, trying to reach the hot skin underneath his shirt. He groped her in turn, and soon they were under the same sleeping bag, rolling together on the hard wood floor.

It was both exhilarating and frustrating having to be so quiet. Eve longed for a large bed and a locked room where she could take her pleasure with Daryl to the maximum. But instead she settled for this small moment of warmth and desire, cherishing every touch and every squeeze.

When they were finished, they lay under the blanket, still tangled up in one another. As Daryl's breath started to even out in sleep, Eve did all she could to stay awake. She wanted to cherish this moment, for tomorrow, he would be gone. And she would stay here.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six: Terminus

Eve watched the walker gnawing on the squirrel carcass for a few moments before putting an arrow through its head. It was an ugly thing, decayed and bloody, but she still looked. Looked to make sure it wasn't someone she knew.

It was the second morning since Daryl, Rick, Michonne and Carl left her and headed to Terminus. She'd pulled Rick aside that morning before they left and tried again to get them to stay.

"I know you don't have any reason to trust me," she'd said. "But my gut has kept me alive this long. And it's

telling me that this place is bad news."

Rick had calmly explained that they owed it to their friends to try to find them. Eve had bitten her lip. "Well if you go there and its not right, you leave. You hear me? You get your friends out and you come back here. There's plenty of room of all of you."

Rick had looked at her doubtfully. That's when she told him about the motel "It's four miles south of here, along Big Bend road, just behind a car garage. I cleared it out months ago. It's completely fenced in and windows are all boarded up. I was staying there until I found the deer stand...but there was just too much...space. Plenty for you and your people."

Rick's brow had furrowed in thought and he thanked her. "If things don't work out there, we'll come back."

Eve nodded. That's the best answer she could hope for.

After an awkward goodbye, the group had set off without her. Daryl hadn't acknowledged their conjugation the previous night, but then, she didn't expect him to. He was the kind of guy who kept his emotions hidden behind a veil of attitude with rare moments of tenderness. Eve could accept that and when he'd just nodded at her once and turned his back, her feelings weren't hurt. They'd said all they needed to the night before.

She wasn't sure how she felt about Daryl. In her more rational moments she knew that sleeping with him was just a moment of desperation. She was lonely. And he was leaving the next day. It was her last chance and she took it. But another part of her, the more sentimental and irrational part of her, felt a connection to him she hadn't felt toward anyone since before…

She rolled her shoulders and stepped on the walker's head to pull the arrow out. She'd been alone for a long time now, but she had never felt this lonely.

She wandered around the woods, checking on a few of her traps and resetting some trip wires. It was aimless and more often than not her thoughts strayed from the task on hand and she found herself thinking of her new friends and their journey to Terminus. Again she felt that sickening twist in her stomach. Without realizing it, she found herself by the railroad tracks staring at the Terminus sign and the bloody decryption below it. Glenn, Go to Terminus -Maggie, Sasha, Bob.

Eve didn't know these people, but already she was feeling a protectiveness toward them. That sickening feeling in her stomach stayed with her.

She went back to her deer stand and sat with her back pressed against the wall. She looked at the spot she and Daryl had spent the night together. She bit her lip.

She sat like that for a long time, just staring and thinking. Finally she stood up. She grabbed her pack and began filling it with supplies. Some dried meat, canned vegetables and an extra shirt. She opened a trunk and took out the handgun she rarely used. She'd found it in the Wal-mart the first time she'd scavenged there. She'd never used a gun in her old life. Never even held one. By that time she'd become pretty acquainted with the bow and arrow, so the need for the gun was slim. Still, she couldn't pass it up. She never knew when she'd need it. Now, she tucked it into the waistband of her jeans, next to her sheathed hunting knife.

Tightening the straps on the pack, she threw it over her shoulders. She then loosened the straps of her bow so it would fit over the pack. She looked around her little deer stand again and promised herself she'd be back. And not alone, either.

The road to Terminus was long if you stuck to the tracks. After studying the map for a while, Eve figured she could cut her travel time in half if she took a few short cuts. Knowing her group had probably just arrived, she didn't want to waste any time catching up.

The thought of them being at Terminus now, filled her with dread. She obeyed her gut and she ran.

Around mid-afternoon she slowed her jog to a stealthy walk. She was getting close and she wanted to scout the entire area before getting too close. Yes, she was in a hurry to find her friends, but she didn't let that block her judgement. This was new territory, with new people. And she was alone.

She decided to climb a tree to get a good vantage point. Slipping on a pair of work gloves she extracted what she called her "tree climbing knives." They were basically two short hunting knives that had great handles. She'd used them countless times. Once she made her way to the top of a pretty sturdy laurel, Eve took out her binoculars and studied the area around her. About a mile away she could see the red building marked Terminus. It looked like it used to be an old train yard. There were train cars littered throughout and it was completely fenced in.

She scanned the area again. There were sentries perched in towers around the compound, probably some patrolling the treeline too. She frowned in worry. In the distance a few miles off Eve could make out a herd heading their way. It was probably the same herd that had nearly overrun her deer stand a week ago. It looked like the walkers made a loop around the area. First going north, then west, now heading south again.

She looked around again. She needed to find a place to stabilize before the herd got to her. But if worst came to worst, she could just climb another tree. Or stay up here. She was curious how Terminus would hold up against such a mass. Yes, the compound was fenced in, but would that be able to withstand several hundred hungry walkers? Eve had seen walkers do much more damage with fewer numbers. As if to answer her question, she heard a scuffling through the woods. She peered through her binoculars again and saw a man walking with a stack of fireworks tucked under his arm. He was whistling, like he was out on leisurely walk. Eve watched him until he was directly under her and then she began to follow him.

It was dangerous, but she found it easier to just hop from tree to tree rather than climb back down and stalk him on foot. Her knives were helpful in the process and she was able to move quite quickly, sometimes even swinging from branch to branch. _If someone would have told me five years ago that I was able to swing through the trees like a monkey, I would have laughed in their face, _She thought with grim humor. She wasn't exactly an athlete in her past life. _It's amazing the things you learn to do when you have to,_ she thought as he balanced on a tree branch, watching the man settle near a shack with his pile of explosives.

She crept closer. The man had a walkie talkie and was speaking into it. She wasn't close enough to hear, but out of the corner of her eye, she saw another group approach.

A grey-haired woman with a handgun, and black guy holding a baby. It was one of the most bizarre groups she'd seen yet. She looked back at the guy with the explosives. The new group was nearing him. Soon they would intersect. Eve wasn't sure if they knew each other, but she held her breath when she saw the man and woman freeze and look at each other wide eyed. Eve crept closer to the man with the walkie talkie. She could just make out was he was saying.

"-that lady with the sword…" Eve froze and listened harder. "I call that kid's hat,"

Eve felt the bile rise in her throat as her worst fears were confirmed. They had Michonne and Carl. She clenched her teeth as she listened to the guy reiterate how they were going to kill her friends. She cocked an arrow and tried to decide what she should do. She could kill this guy now. Lord knows she wanted to. But she needed more information. She'd have to maim him somehow. Maybe a shot to the knee? But that would leave his hands free. Before she could decide what to do, the couple with the baby stepped out of the trees. The woman stepped forward and held the barrel of a gun to the first guy's head.

"We're friends with the lady with the sword and the boy with the hat," she said, her voice like steel.

Eve's eyes widened. Were these members of the group from the prison? She watched as they tied the guy up. Juggling the baby proved to be difficult for the black guy and he handed her off to the woman. In that brief moment of switching hands, the guy with the explosives made his move. He stood and turned, his hand going to his back where a revolver was nestled. He didn't get very far though. Eve let loose an arrow that pierced the guy in the right shoulder. He fell back with a scream and immediately the couple looked around for the source of the shot. Not knowing what else to do, Eve dropped down from her spot in the trees and approached the group.

She shouldered her bow and held up her hands in the universal 'don't shoot' gesture.

"Who are you?" the black guy demanded. The woman moved so she was positioned behind the wounded man but she now pointed the gun at Eve.

"I'm Eve," she said, stopping in her tracks. "I don't know who you are, but I do know Carl and Michonne.

Rick and Daryl, too. I met them a while back and they left a few days ago. They were coming to Terminus to find Maggie, Glenn, Sasha and Bob."

At the mention of Sasha the black guy looked at Eve sharply. "You saw Sasha?"

Eve gulped. The intensity of this guy's stare was so strong she took a step back. "No. There was a sign from her, Maggie and Bob saying they went to Terminus. Rick, Daryl, Michonne and Carl went to find them."

The woman narrowed her eyes. "Why didn't you go with them?"

Eve hesitated. "I… didn't want to…"

The woman gripped her weapon.

"Look, I had a bad feeling about the place," Eve said. "And judging by what that guy said," she gestured at the man she just shot, "I'd say I was right."

The woman tightened her mouth but she turned her weapon back on the man on the ground who was now writhing in pain. The black guy visibly relaxed and stepped forward. "I'm Tyrese," he said. "That's Carol," he motioned to the lady with the gun. "And this is baby Judith," he said gesturing to the baby.

"Judith?" Eve said, her eyes lighting up. "You mean, she's alive?" Eve thought back to when Rick and company had told her about the people they'd lost in the prison. Carl had choked out that he had a baby sister named Judith who didn't make it. At the time Eve had felt sick to her stomach at the thought of a walker getting its hands on a baby. She couldn't imagine how Carl and Rick felt, with it being _their _baby. Looking at the child now, she felt her eyes swell with tears. "Oh my God," she said, breathless. "Rick and Carl think she's dead."

Carol looked up with sad eyes. It was then that Eve saw the distrust melt away from her features. Eve helped her and Tyrese move the guy into the tiny shack. They were none too gentle and when they finally had him situated, Eve didn't hesitate to yank her arrow out causing the guy to call her a variety of colorful words. They drilled him, but he kept his mouth shut for the most part. Basically he confirmed he was from Terminus but wouldn't elaborate on who else was held captive.

"If Carl and Michonne are there," Eve said. "Rick and Daryl are too. There's no way they wouldn't be together."

"Right," Carol said. She looked to Tyrese. "I'm going to see what's going on down there. Are you okay to stay here with Judith?"

Tyrese nodded.

"I'm coming with you," Eve said, stepping forward.

Carol looked at Eve warily. Finally she nodded. Eve grabbed her bow and made sure her gun was secure before she followed Carol outside. Together they followed the trail toward Terminus.

Carol had taken the Terminus guy's gun and fireworks. She carried them on her back as they lumbered forward. Eve was a little concerned for the older woman. She looked frail and skinny, her bones peaking out of her loose clothes. That worry doubled when they saw a few walkers heading their way. Eve stepped in front of Carol and cocked an arrow. She took down the first walker and quickly reloaded to take down the other two, but she soon found out that Carol was no weakling. Using the butt of the rifle, Carol smashed the skull of one walker, only to turn quickly with her knife to kill the other one. Eve stood there with her mouth open. This lady was not messing around.

"Here," Carol said. She handed Eve an old flannel shirt that was about eight sizes too big. "You're gonna need this." She then pulled out an old blanket that she cut a hole in and pulled over her head like a poncho. She knelt down next to the fallen walkers and started cutting them open. Scooping out handful after handful of guts and blood, she covered her makeshift poncho in viscera. Eve almost gagged when the woman smeared the blood on her face. Carol looked at Eve expectantly.

Eve groaned but obeyed, covering her borrowed shirt from collar to tail. She hesitated before applying the goo to her face, but if this lady could do it, so could she. When Carol was satisfied they were both covered, they resumed their trek.

"So this will keep the walkers away?" Eve asked, mostly just to make conversation. The woman's silence was unsettling. "I mean, I used to pile dead bodies in front of my house, so this makes sense. I've just never tried it."

Carol nodded. "It should work," is all she said.

Eve fidgeted nervously. Her bow was digging into her back at an odd angle and the smell of walker was creeping into her nostrils like a plague. Soon they approached the treeline that held a good view of the Terminus yard. They squatted near a fence and Eve dug out her binoculars again while Carol peered through the scope of her rifle. They both gasped when they saw what was happening.

A group of men were being wrestled to the ground, among them Eve recognized Rick and Daryl. Without thinking she stood up and started forward, but Carol held her back.

"Wait," she said. "We have to be smart about this."

Eve nodded. "You're right. We need a plan."

"See that?" She pointed. "That's a propane tank. If it's full, we can blow it up." Carol shot off a round from her rifle into the tank. A gust of gas burst from the hole, knocking down several walkers that were making their way toward the gate. Carol nodded in satisfaction. Eve looked through her binoculars again and frantically tried to find her friends again. She saw them at the last moment being dragged to a shed near the back.

"Oh god," she said. "I think they are going to kill them."

"Keep it together," Carol snapped. "We're going to get them out."

Eve gulped and nodded.

"I've already seen you with that bow, but can you shoot a gun?" Carol asked.

Eve nodded again.

"Then whenever the tank blows, I want you to run ahead. Try to blend in with the walkers as best you can and find a tree. Climb it and try to take down the sentries that are stationed around the perimeter. If they are going to escape, we need the eliminate the birds eye. Got it?"

Eve stared at this woman wide eyed. She looked like a mom, not a military mastermind.

"What about you?" Eve managed to squeak out.

Carol paused a moment before she said, "I'm going in."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven: Hero

It took Eve approximately two seconds to realize that Carol was a total badass. Not only was she able to aim a bottle rocket directly at the propane tank, causing the explosion of the century, but she fearlessly made her way into Terminus among a throng of walking dead people.

Eve watched the whole thing from the safety of a tree she'd found. It offered the perfect amount of cover, while also giving her a good shot of the sentries stationed around Terminus. Taking out her handgun, her hands were shaking. She'd lied a bit when she told Carol she could shoot. Sure, she'd done it before, but she desperately wished she could make a few practice shots at some beer cans or something. Unbidden, memories of her first shooting lesson crept into her brain. They had been with Marv, and it was a good memory. They'd stood in a pasture and shot at rocks. He'd shown her how to shoot and reload his rifle and shotgun, his hips pressed close to hers as he wrapped his arms around her... She shook her head to clear it of those sorrowful thoughts and focused on her task at hand. She had human targets now, and they were lethal.

There were three makeshift guard towers that surrounded the perimeter but she quickly found out they were out of range for her hand gun. She'd need a rifle to make those shots. Looking around she saw a few guards patrolling the fence line. They were panicking now, trying to keep the walkers out of their domain, but it was no use. There were too many of them. The explosion had destroyed a good portion of the fence and attracted every walker in a five mile radius. That herd was coming in strong now. There were walkers everywhere.

Taking her aim, she fired at the panicking guards. Among all the other gunfire that was happening her shots were ignored. She missed her first two shots, but her third and fourth hit home in the heads of the guards. She watched them drop to the ground, their weapons ignored by the walkers now crowding the fence.

Eve took a deep breath before climbing down from the tree. A walker ambled past her and she nearly screamed, but the thing just kept moving, blinded to her scent. She moved slowly, hiding behind walkers as best as she could. She had to be careful. The people of Terminus were firing rapidly at the walkers and she didn't want to be hit in the crossfire. Finally she reached the fence and the fallen people. She slowly picked up the rifle and snuck back to her perch. Her heart was pounding the whole time, but she needn't have worried. The sentries in the guard towers were so preoccupied with shooting walkers that they didn't even notice the first two shots Eve made that missed them completely. She cursed and refocused, before finally hitting her mark.

She stayed in the tree a few moments longer, unsure of what to do. The task Carol gave her was complete. Now what? She couldn't just sit here. The rifle had two more bullets left, but she wasn't sure who to shoot. She didn't want to kill the walkers...they were basically weapons in all this. She'd need to get closer to take out some more Terminus people. She left the tree again, and this time she jogged toward the wreckage that was now terminus. Things were getting crazy in there and Eve searched the yard wildly, looking for Carol or anyone else she knew. From the corner of her eye she saw a woman take aim at her, an AK-47 in her hands. Without a second thought, Eve cocked the rifle and fired the last remaining bullets through the fence and at the woman. She fell to the ground and walkers descended on her. It was gruesome sight and Eve looked away.

Now that the rifle was empty, she tossed it to the side. She climbed the fence at a section that was somewhat covered by a train car. It gave her a better view of the scene unfolding around her, while also keeping her relatively hidden. Pulling the handgun from the waste of her jeans she looked around. There were people running everywhere, all with guns in their hands and looking terrified. Eve was reluctant to shoot at any humans. She wasn't sure who was from Terminus and who were friends from the prison. She saw Carol, finally. She was shooting from the corner of the compound, taking out people and walkers, alike. Eve saw a few walkers heading her way so she emptied her clip on them, giving Carol a chance to get to safety.

Now that the handgun was empty, Eve shoved it back into the waistband of her jeans and pulled out her bow. She immediately felt better, more confident, with it in her hands. At last she could shoot with accuracy.

She looked up just in time to see Rick, Daryl and two other men come running toward the train car she was perched behind. Her heart leapt into her throat as they broke open the train car and people started filing out, among them she spotted Carl and Michonne.

Walkers were everywhere and the newly freed people fought with makeshift weapons. Rick turned in a circle, shooting down walkers with a commandeered gun. A walker lunged toward Carl and Rick turned to shoot it just as Eve's arrow pierced its head. He looked up and spotted her at the fence. Their eyes met and Eve felt a chill go through her. It was eerily similar to when she'd saved them in the woods.

"Get to the fence," she heard Rick yell as he resumed his slaughter. Eve shot down a few more walkers, covering the survivors as they ran toward her. She anchored her feet securely and reached down to help the first to arrive up. She helped a girl around her age, followed by a young Asian guy. Two girls followed, then a guy with a mullet, who was being herded by a redhead. Then Michonne and Carl, Michonne gripping Eve's shoulder tightly before jumping down and running toward the woods with Carl at her heels. A black couple were next, holding tightly to one another. The girl had a gun in her hand and looked strangely familiar.

Eve continued to shoot her arrows at walkers surrounding her two remaining friends. Daryl and Rick stood back to back, each holding an acquired AK-47 and firing at humans. Finally they turned and ran toward her, Daryl actually taking the time to pull arrows from the corpses Eve had shot down. She guessed it was habit for him.

Eve continued to cover the two men as they climbed the fence. Once they got to her, Rick shot her a grateful look. "Come with us!" he shouted before leaping off the fence and running for the woods. She and Daryl jumped down together and he thrust his handful of arrows at Eve.

"Here," he said, echoing her from the first morning after they met. "I think these are yours." Eve grinned and grabbed them, all the while running after the group. After a good deal of jogging, the group started to slow.

Rick turned to Daryl. "The guns." Daryl nodded and took the lead. Without question, everyone followed. Eve hung back a little bit. She wasn't sure where they were going or what to expect. They reached a small clearing and Daryl and Rick began digging. The redhead spoke up, demanding to know why they'd stopped.

"They don't get to live," Eve heard Rick growl out and her stomach went cold. He wanted to go back there? The group began arguing about it. Most were in favor of leaving the place to burn. Eve wasn't sure what all had happened back there, but it had to have been bad for Rick to be so bent on revenge.

A snapping twig came from behind Eve and she whirled around. Carol stepped out of the trees, her bloodsoaked poncho had been discarded and she held a crossbow. A very familiar crossbow.

She looked at Eve, tiredly Eve watched her look at the group and instead of triumph on her face, Eve could only see wariness. Sadness. Like a kicked dog approaching its owner.

"Are you okay?" Eve asked her softly.

Before Carol could answer, Daryl turned toward them. His eyes went wide and he ran, a_ctually ran,_to Carol. Eve stood there astonished, and...awkward. The naked emotion on his face completely caught her off guard and she found herself backing away. She felt so...jealous.

If she was being completely honest with herself, she came all this way for Daryl. His was the face that had crept into her head the entire time she'd debating with herself on whether she should go after them or not. Without realizing it, she had imagined their reunion as severe and emotional. She had been fantasizing about his kiss for hours. She didn't exactly expect him to run to her and fall into her arms, but she thought he'd at least show her some kind of gratitude. But instead, he'd handed her a handful of arrows and marched away. Which was fine. That was Daryl. But here he was, sobbing on the shoulder of another woman. And the worst part was, Carol was completely awesome. She couldn't even hate the woman.

Rick stepped forward as Daryl released Carol. Eve wasn't sure what had happened between them, but she could tell there was tension there. Carol looked visibly relieved when Rick folded her in a strong hug and thanked her. "It wasn't all me," Carol croaked out, her voice thick with tears. "I had help." She gestured at Eve.

As all eyes turned to her, Eve shrank under their gaze. It reminded her of being the leader of her own group and the mistakes she'd made.

"Who is she?" someone asked. She thought it was the Asian guy.

"That's Eve," Carl said, stepping forward.

"She saved our lives a few days back," Michonne explained.

Rick broke away from Carol and stepped toward her. "Thank you," he said again, also wrapping her in a hug. It was an odd feeling and Eve stiffly hugged back. Over Rick's shoulder she met Daryl's eyes. He gave her a half smile.

When Rick broke away, Carol stepped forward again. "You have to come with me," she said.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight: Father

Watching the reunion between Rick and Carl and the believed to be dead baby Judith was emotional to say the least. Eve had looked on with the rest of the group as Rick held his child and repeated her name like a prayer.

Eve wasn't a mother. She knew very few children in fact, but it wasn't hard to be touched by the moment. She'd given up her hope a long time ago. Hope of finding people she believed to be dead. The only person she'd ever found was Marv, and see how that worked out. Hope was not something she allowed herself to do anymore. There was only room for survival. But looking on now, seeing the impossible, the joy in their eyes, she felt that old hope creeping up again. If it could happen for these people, why couldn't it happen for her. Maybe, someday, somewhere she would find him. No...She quickly squashed those thoughts. He was gone. And if he was alive, he was a long way from her now.

Eve was drawn from her reverie when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned and found Daryl next to her. "You were right about that place."

Eve swallowed dryly. "What happened in there?"

Daryl shook his head. "It was bad."

"They were killing people?"

"And eating them…"

Eve stomach lurched. In the past few years she'd seen some horrible things. She'd been beaten, betrayed, robbed, harassed...all my her fellow humans. She'd seen first hand what kind of people this world spat out. But never, _never_ had she imagined cannibalism. "Ugh," she said. "Aren't there enough people getting eaten these days?"

Daryl snorted.

She looked at him. He had fresh bruises on his face mixing with the yellowish green ones. His eyes were tired and he was filthy. He looked awful.

"How close?" He looked at her oddly. "How close did you come to being…"

Daryl leveled her with a stare. "Too close."

Eve swallowed again.

"We can't stay here," Rick's voice called out. He was still clutching his baby to his chest. "We need to keep moving. Eve-" Eve looked up, surprised he was addressing her. As eyes all turned to her, she again felt herself shrinking under their gaze. "Can you take us to the motel?" Rick continued. "Just until we get our bearings."

"Of course."

Rick nodded. "How far is it from here?"

Eve did a quick calculation in her head. "It will probably take us a day, maybe more with such a large group…"

Rick nodded again. "We'll go as far as we can until nightfall. But we need to get as far from here as possible. Lead the way, Eve."

Eve felt awkward as she turned and started walking. She heard a few people murmuring behind her, unsure who she was and if they could trust her. She didn't blame them. She wouldn't trust her either. But Rick's approval seemed to be enough for the group, so they followed her without complaint.

Eve took the group back the way she'd come rather than heading to the railroad tracks. It was risky with such a large group. Altogether there were sixteen of them, and though each of them were well trained in walking quietly, that many feet moving together was bound to make a ruckus. Eve glanced around nervously throughout their entire journey, constantly fearing stray walkers would be attracted to their noise.

They walked for a few hours before her fears were realized. They turned a corner and up ahead a group of walkers were gnawing on a fallen deer. There was no hiding that many people and the walkers started toward them. There were only a few, and Eve breathed a sigh of relief, knowing she could take that many down on her own, let alone with a whole group. She and Daryl quickly riddled the corpses with arrows. In the silence that remained, the sound of moaning floated through the group. Eve looked to her left and nearly screamed. A group of walkers was heading right toward them.

"Make a ring," Rick yelled, taking charge. "Carl, you take Judith and stay in the middle of the huddle. Keep your gun ready. If anything gets close you don't hesitate, you shoot! Tara, keep close to Carl. Eve and Daryl, shoot as many as you can with arrows. The rest of you, try not to use your guns. We can't afford to attract any more attention to ourselves."

Everyone formed a circle with Carl, Judith and Tara in the middle. Eve positioned herself directly opposite of Daryl, so they could shoot at walkers from all sides. She let loose arrow after arrow, trying to keep as many walkers away as possible. Despite her efforts, they were soon surrounded. It became a bloodbath. Walker after walker lunged forward, hands outstretched, mouths open. The group slashed and struck with a furiosity that bordered on insanity. But Eve knew they wouldn't last long. The walkers just kept coming and the group was exhausted from the fight at Terminus and the long walk. Distantly, Eve heard the baby crying and her heart swelled. She could not let these monstrosities get a hold of that baby. She jabbed an arrow into the brain of an approaching walker and began searching for a way out. Maybe if they held off the walkers long enough, she could help Carl and the baby up a tree. They'd be safe up there. At least until the walkers left.

Oh God, the last walker got within an inch of her neck before she was able to kill it. All around her she heard the grunts from the rest of the group. They were forced to break the circle time and again. Soon the walkers would get in and there would be no protecting that baby. Eve's arms started to feel like jelly. She continued to fight, but it was becoming more and more like an out of body experience. Exhaustion threatened to overcome her.

Eve stabbed at the brain of an approaching walker just as another walker lunged for her. In that moment, time slowed. She saw the snapping jaws descending on her, knowing her arms wouldn't move fast enough to stop her doom. This was it, this was how she would die. She braced herself for the tearing bite, knowing the pain would be excruciating. She had the wherewithal to hope her body would pass out so she wouldn't have to witness her own demise. She closed her eyes as the mouth made contact, the sharp teeth piercing her shoulder like a spear. But then, the pain was gone. She opened her eyes again and the walker was gone. In its place was a miracle.

A man stood before her. He was a tall man, dressed all in black, complete with a hooded black robe. He carried a metal spear that he was now using to take down walker after walker. He moved with a catlike grace, his spear an extension of his arm. He fought tirelessly for several minutes and in that time he managed to kill every last walker. He pulled the spear from the head of the last walker and straightened up. The group looked on in awe. Eve stood there dumbly, still amazed she was even still alive.

The man's face was shrouded in his hood, and in the slowly setting sun, he looked both sinister and divine. To Eve's surprise, she realized the spear was no spear at all, but a processional crucifix. The points of the cross had been sharpened so they gleamed like razor teeth. Razor teeth covered in icker.

Eve looked down at her shoulder, at what she thought was a bite. She realized that the bite she felt was not walker teeth, but the teeth of the cross.

Without meaning to, Eve took a step back.

"Who are you?" Rick asked. He was panting, sweat soaking through his already filthy shirt.

The stranger said nothing. In the stillness Eve could see his chest rising and falling. Not an apparition then. A live, breathing man. He ignored the group and pulled a vial from his belt. He dipped his fingers in and without a word began walking around sprinkling water on the rotting bodies of the walkers. The group watched silently. When he'd finished he stood before Rick again.

"Who are you?" Rick demanded again.

The man pulled back his hood and revealed his face. He was black man, with broad, handsome cheekbones. His eyes were sorrowful, yet fierce at the same time. Eve looked at his clothes again and found that they were as torn and dirty as the rest of theirs. This man was a fighter, that was clear.

When he finally spoke, his voice was softer and gentler than Eve expected. "My name is Father Gabriel Stokes."

Though the priest was of average height, Rick took a step back and looked up. "Are you one of them?" Rick asked.

Gabriel looked back impassively.

"Are you from Terminus?" Rick demanded again, his voice firmer this time.

"I am of St. Anthony's Episcopalian Church. I have heard of this place Terminus, but I am not fool enough to go there. It is a spider's web, feeding on the hatred and fear that is born of this world."

Rick glared at the priest. "How many walkers have you killed?"

The priest cocked his head to the side curiously, as if the words Rick spoke were gibberish. "I have lost count of the souls I have freed from this existence." He gestured to the dead walkers. "Is it not redundant to kill the dead?"

"How many people have you killed?"

Gabriel looked back at Rick, his eyes hard. "That is between me and God," he answered. "Rest assured, I have not harmed a fellow human without just cause."

Rick stilled.

"I apologize, I do not mean to cause distrust. I am but an instrument of God as are we all. Come now, the hour is late and more...what do you call them? Walkers?...may be about. If you wish for sanctuary, I can offer you that. If not, then I will be on my way."

Rick hesitated. Eve could see the dilemma. This man was a complete stranger who had obviously killed people. He also seemed...dangerous. But on the other hand, it was getting dark and they were all exhausted. They could die out here. Just then Judith let out a wail. The sound of his daughter crying made the decision easy. "Lead the way," Rick said to the priest.

**Authors Note: I hope you all like my version of Father Gabriel Stokes. I just couldn't stand how weak his character is on the show. I am very close (and I mean VERY close) to clergy members in real life and I am just tired of them being portrayed as insane babbling weaklings on modern media. Not all religious figures are crazy bible thumpers who hate gay people and only listen to Christian rock. There are actually intelligent, interesting and thoughtful ministers out there and I think its really important to portray this in popular media. That being said, in Eve's story, Father Gabriel is smart and capable while also being conscious and thoughtful of the current apocalypse. He's also a badass, because...why not?**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine: Death is a Sister

Father Gabriel's church was a small chapel in the middle of the woods. There was a makeshift parking lot in the back, complete with a broken down bus and two abandoned cars.

When they arrived, Rick insisted on sending a few members of the group inside first to be sure there was no danger. Eve waited outside, her bow gripped tight even though she had a good feeling about the minister. He stood back quietly as Rick and several others entered the church. Eve glanced at the processional crucifix that had saved her life and shivered. If he hadn't have been there, she'd be dead right now. Or worse.

Rick poked his head out the church door and nodded. "It's clear," he told the others, beckoning them forward. Eve brought up the rear as the group entered.

The church was pretty standard. An altar and pews, ugly red carpet and large bowls filled with holy water. The group settled uneasily in the pews and waited for Rick's instructions. After a hushed conversation with the stoic priest, Rick began assembling a group to go raid a local food bank, which included the dark minister.

"Eve, I want you to stay here," Rick said, turning to her. He lowered his voice. "If anything goes wrong, I want you to take Carl and Judith and run. Don't worry about anyone else. Just them." Eve looked at him oddly, and Rick doubled back. "I'm taking Daryl and Michonne with me. I can tell that you are a loyal person, but you don't know anyone else besides Carl. If something happens, I need to know that you won't think of anyone else. You'll just take care of Carl and Judith."

Though what Rick was saying was completely morbid, Eve nodded. He was right. If anyone would protect Carl and Judith exclusively, it was her.

Daryl locked eyes with her before the group left. She wasn't sure what passed between them. This situation was strange to say the least. But she was happy to be here. To be part of a group again. She looked around and found Carl holding his sister. She sat on a the pew next to him and waited for the group to return.

…

The sky was purpling as nightfall fell by the time the group got back. They were soaking wet and filthy, but happy with their spoils. They quickly unloaded can after can of food and everyone dug in to the best meal they'd had in days, if not weeks. Father Gabriel had even supplied several bottles of eucharist wine that the group indulged in happily. Eve helped herself to a plate of green beans and pintos. She ate sparingly, too used to rationing food to be able to fill her stomach. Dinner was a joyous event and she actually started learning the names and relationships of the people in the group.

She quickly learned that Maggie and Glenn were married, only recently reunited after the fall of the prison. Watching them together put a knot in Eve's throat she did her best to swallow down. Then there was the big redhead Abraham and his pretty Spanish girlfriend Rosita, accompanied by the stranger with the mullet Eugene. And Tyrese, the big teddy bear of a man went out of his way to introduce her to everyone else, including his sister Sasha who shared his eyes and Bob, Sasha's budding romantic partner. They were welcoming for the most part, but at the end of the night, Eve found herself sitting alone. The only other person sitting alone was the priest.

Eve looked down at the wound on her shoulder. It was tight and sore, but a small annoyance compared to what could have been. She got up from her spot on the floor against the wall and approached the quiet man as he sat on the steps of the altar.

She sat next to him. He glanced over to her, his dark eyes wary. .

"I just wanted to say thank you," Eve began. "If you hadn't showed up when you did, I'd be having my bones picked right about now."

Gabriel looked pointedly at the gaping wound on her shoulder. "We should care for that. You don't want an infection."

An infection had been the least of Eve's worries moments ago, but she knew he was right. The wound had stopped bleeding, but she could feel the tender flesh starting to swell.

"Come," he said, standing. He led her to the back of the sanctuary to an office. He sat her on the couch while he rummaged through a desk drawer, finally pulling out a bottle of whiskey and a needle and thread.

"I guess even priests need a drink after work," she said, lamely attempting to joke with the minister.

He didn't smile, but his eyes held amusement. "It has its uses."

He pulled a rolling desk chair over and sat before her, the bottle in one hand. He looked at her expectantly.

She realized a moment too late that he meant for her to remove her shirt. It was a filthy thing, it's long sleeves torn and bloodstained, but she hesitated. Modesty wasn't something this world allowed much of anymore. But she felt uneasy baring herself to this quiet intense man.

He gave her a kind smile. "Would you rather I invite one of the women to tend you?" he asked, noting her uneasiness.

Eve immediately felt stupid. She pulled off the ruined garment and tossed it aside. Her bra strap was in the way so she snaked her arm through it, leaving her shoulder completely bare. She laid back on the couch, giving this strange priest access to her shoulder. He first poured water on the wound to clear away some of the dried blood. And then she braced herself for the searing pain of the whiskey.

"Are you ready?" he asked courteously. She looked up at his dark face and nodded. He poured a generous portion of the whiskey on the wound and Eve couldn't help the single sob of pain that rose up in her throat. She hadn't meant to be so loud, and she certainly hadn't meant to alarm anyone outside, but suddenly the door burst open and Rick stood in the doorway, his gun raised.

"Woah, woah," Eve said, sitting up. "It's okay!"

"What's going on in here?" Rick growled. His eyes widened at Eve's shirtless form laid out on the couch and Gabriel's hovering over her.

"He's just dressing my wound," Eve said calmly.

Rick looked her over. "What happened?" he asked. He glanced around and lowered his voice. "Were you bit?"

"No," Eve said. "Thanks to Gabriel. It's just a cut."

He stepped closer and examined the gash. "I'd say it's more than a cut. Are you sure you're okay?"

Eve nodded, though the pain from the whiskey was still burning through her. She gritted her teeth. "I'll be fine once it's stitched up. I've been through worse than this, you know that."

Rick nodded again. He cut a warning glance over at Gabriel. "If you need anything," he said to Eve. "Just call me. I'll be right outside." Again he looked at Gabriel.

Once Rick stepped out, Eve leaned back on the couch and exhaled softly.

"He's quite a man," Gabriel said softly. "So protective of his people."

Eve looked away. "I'd hardly say I'm one of his people. I'm pretty new to this group."

Gabriel frowned, but didn't ask for an explanation. He lit a match and began sterilizing the needle.

To distract herself, Eve looked around the small office. There were bookshelves and crosses, homemade clay pots obviously made by children and macaroni framed pictures. One contained a picture of Father Gabriel and a young blonde woman with glasses. Something about the picture made Eve uneasy.

"She was my wife."

Eve's eyes snapped up. Gabriel was looking at her.

"Is she…?"

Gabriel nodded. "She is." He paused and closed his eyes. "She was supposed to be picking up seniors that day, the day of the outbreak, while I stayed here and fortified the church. But she never came back. I never knew what happened to her. That is, until today."

"What do you mean?"

"She was in the food bank."

"Oh."

Gabriel nodded sadly. "The worst part is...I wasn't even able to free her soul…. I just couldn't move. Then your friend Rick put her down. It was horrible, but I am thankful for him. He seemed to understand."

"He lost his wife too," Eve said, recalling how Carl explained his mother's demise.

Gabriel nodded again. "There is so much pain for the living. But we must remember that death is a sister, not an enemy. My wife is at peace now, joined again with God."

Eve pondered this as Gabriel began the agonizing act of stitching her up. With each tug of skin she thought of the ones she'd lost and for the first time instead of feeling the crushing grief that was always threatening to overwhelm her. she felt content. _Death is a sister, not an enemy. _She repeated that line to herself like a mantra until the stitching stopped. Gabriel poured another dose of whiskey over the wound. It hurt less this time, and Eve stayed quiet.

"My pack," she said, her voice hoarse. She cleared her throat. "I have some antiseptic ointment in my pack. And another shirt."

Gabriel retrieved it and was soon wiping her wound with the sticky ointment and wrapping it in a white bandage.

"Thank you," Eve said, once he was finished. She dug in her pack and found the extra shirt. It was a grey thurmal, almost identical to the one she'd discarded. It was also riddled with holes and rips, but at least it was clean. As she was pulling it on, Eve heard Sasha's loud voice shouting from the sanctuary.

"Bob? Has anyone seen Bob? He went outside and never came back! Where is he?"

Eve and Gabriel stepped out of the office and into rising panic. Everyone was shouting. It turned out Bob wasn't the only one missing. Daryl and Carol had disappeared too. Eve felt her stomach tighten in fear. Daryl? Daryl was missing? Meanwhile Sasha was storming the church.

"It's you!" she said, pointing at Father Gabriel. "This is your fault. You know where they are!" She got up on her tiptoes right in Gabriel's face and screamed, "Where are they? WHERE ARE OUR PEOPLE?"

Eve stepped between them. "He was with me this whole time. He doesn't have anything to do with this."

Sasha was fuming. "Then where are they?" She snatched her gun and stormed outside, closely followed by Rick and Glenn. Eve grabbed her bow and followed them out. If Daryl was missing, she wanted to find him. She had to. Vaguely she felt Father Gabriel at her back, his processional crucifix at the ready.

The group prowled the woods, quietly making their way around the surrounding area, looking for signs of their lost friends. After several hours of searching, they returned to the church. No more had they gone back inside than Tyrese started shouting. Someone was lying on the grass outside the church.

Sasha didn't hesitate. She ran outside, and threw herself on the ground. "It's Bob!" Eve heard her shout. Eve quickly pushed herself outside. Walkers were coming out of the woods and she quickly started shooting them down while the other's carried Bob inside. She took the time to kill three more walkers before running back inside and slamming the doors shut.

The others had Bob lying in the aisle and he was groaning softly.

"Oh my god," Eve heard Sasha gasp. "HIs leg is gone!"


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten: Raw Meat

Eve wiped her sweaty hands on her dirty pants and regripped her bow. She stood beside Glenn, hiding in the trees watching as a group of strangers entered the church.

Eve had never actually stopped being afraid, not since the outbreak began. But she'd never been _this _afraid. There was so much riding on this plan, and if it didn't work, things would end horribly. But it _would _work. It had to. Together the group watched the Terminites close the door behind them. Eve saw Rick lick his lips. They were doing exactly what he said they would. On his signal, the group crept forward.

Eve stayed close. Fear was rolling around her, narrowing her vision and quickening her heartbeat until it's all she could hear. When the outbreak began, Eve was scared, just like everyone else, but it was a different kind of fear. The fear that fueled her to make quick decisions, to think logically, the fear that caused her to gain the trust of her companions, making her their leader. Back then, there was nothing left to lose. Back then it was d_o something and maybe live_ or _do nothing and die painfully._ But now there was more to fear than the walkers gnawing on your skin while you died slowly. No, now Eve feared the living. She gulped again as she remembered Bob's grisly tale. Of how he woke up to the face of Terminus's leader, Gareth, chewing on a slab of meat that had come from Bob's leg. Eve had never felt such disgust in her life, such hatred, and such fear. And now Bob was lying on the couch in Gabriel's office, dying from the walker bite he'd revealed to the group. Eve would never forget the devastation of Sasha's face.

The group reached the doors of the church and Rick halted the others as he stopped to listen. Through the wood, Eve could hear Gareth's voice, calling out to the one's left behind. He was taunting them. Eve tensed as Gareth offered Father Gabriel a deal, to reveal the rest of the group and he would spare him and the baby.

"Judith," Gareth crooned, and Eve saw Rick grip his gun. Slowly, he opened the door just as baby Judith let out a long wail. The delight on Gareth's face was visible in the dim lighting as he directed two of his minions to the door Judith, Carl, Bob, Tyrese, Eugene and Gabriel were in. Gabriel had volunteered to stay behind just in case something happened. After seeing him fight with that cross, no one objected to that.

The two minions flanked the door and Rick held up two fingers. He motioned to Abraham and Sasha who pointed their rifles. At his signal they shot two matching holes in the minions' heads. As they slumped to the ground, Gareth looked around wildly, but his arrogance didn't waver until Rick shot off his two fingers. He screamed as his gun flew from his now mutilated hand.

The events that followed rushed past Eve like she wasn't even there. She stood over a man who was kneeling before her, his hands up and his face afraid. But in that moment, her own fear didn't touch her. It was an abstract thing, a thought remembered from long ago. Instead, all she felt was anger. Red, hot anger. These people were no better than the walker's outside. The only difference was that these people knew better. Her hand was steady with her cocked arrow pointed at the man's head. In his eyes, she saw only evil. She would feel no remorse for killing him.

She waited for Rick's cue. The plan was simple. Enter the church, only shoot when told to. These people weren't worth the bullets. They were to be dealt with personally. And Gareth...he was Rick's.

Eve kept her eyes trained on her man while Gareth's voice pleaded desperately at the front of the church. She smiled, grimly satisfied that Gareth was so afraid. Her man's eyes widened in fear when he caught her grin, and Eve's smile grew.

Rick was talking now, and Eve tuned in to the hear him say one last thing, "Besides… I made you a promise." Eve wasn't sure what he meant, but his swift movement followed by Gareth's anguished scream was signal enough for Eve. She locked eyes with her man and smiled one last time.

The arrow shot clean through the man's eye, and she stood there longer than she should have, looking at her kill. She'd killed people since the whole thing started, but this was the first time it'd been so close, so brutal. This was an execution. Eve glanced around. Everyone else taking their time killing the Terminites. Rick, especially. He was hacking away wildly with a red handled machete and when Eve looked at the pile of raw meat that used to be Gareth, she felt bile rise in her throat.

Father Gabriel came out of the back office, his sharpened crucifix in his hand. He surveyed the dead bodies and looked on solemnly. He put a calming hand on Rick's shoulder. Rick was still standing over the body he'd just mutilated, his quiet panting audible in the stillness. He patted Gabriel's hand in thanks and walked down the aisle and outside.

Eve, Maggie, Glenn, Tara, Abraham, Rosita, Sasha and Michonne watched as Gabriel filled his vile with holy water and began blessing the dead. No one protested.

…

That night Eve found it hard to sleep. Though she was exhausted, every time she closed her eyes, all she could see was Gareth's bloody remains, her arrow piercing the eye of the man she'd killed, and Bob's bloody stump. Before they had all gone to sleep, the group had each said goodbye to Bob. His fever was up, and everyone knew it wouldn't be long.

Eve hardly knew the man, she'd met him only today, but when she knelt before him, he'd taken her hand and smiled softly.

"Thank you," he'd said. "For saving us from Terminus. We didn't even know you, and you saved us. Please, don't let them forget that. Don't let them forget that there are still good people in the world."

Eve clenched her teeth at the memory. After what happened tonight, she wasn't sure what 'good' meant anymore. She shifted on the hard pew. After Father Gabriel had blessed the dead bodies the group had tossed them outside. They didn't bother to burn them. "It will just attract more walkers," Rick had said. "Leave them to rot." Eve's stomach squirmed. She wasn't kidding when she'd told Carl she used to be a vegetarian. It had taken her a long time to start hunting after the fall, even after she became an expert with the bow. It had taken near starvation in the middle of winter for her to be able to stomach the fresh meat again, and even then she'd had to choke it down. Thinking of Gareth's body may have turned her off of meat again for a long while.

Eve shut her eyes again and tried not to think of Daryl. Bob had said the Terminites had seen him and Carol drive away in a car. Putting her jealousy aside, Eve was just worried about them. She didn't know what they were up to...she had no idea if she would see either of them again. Rick was sure they would come back. She clung to that thought as she slowly drifted to sleep.

...

In the morning a group left for Washington DC. Eve had missed the big talk last night where Abraham had tried to convince the group that Eugene was some kind of genius with a cure for walkerism, but she got the gist of it when he and Rick butted heads over whether to stay and fight the Terminites last night, or to flee in the newly repaired church bus. Though she'd just met them, she was sad to see Maggie, Glenn and Tara go. She didn't think it was wise to split up the group like this, but Rick okayed it and no one objected.

_You're not the leader here_, she reminded herself. _Just worry about yourself. _ But it was hard looking at Tara's sweet young smile, and Glenn and Maggie's obvious love for each other. She had a bad feeling about them leaving, and if she'd learned anything from Terminus, it was that her bad feelings were usually right. She thought about objecting, but saw the crazy gleam in Abraham's eyes. There would be no convincing that one, and it was clear Rosita and Eugene would follow him to the ends of the earth. So she kept quiet and watched them drive away in the early morning sun.

The day passed in a weird way. There was much worry over Daryl and Carol, speculation on whether any Terminites were left out there, the burying of Bob…

Eve stood guard through most of it, having no real purpose within the group. She climbed on the roof of the church accompanied by her bow and binoculars. Things were mostly pretty quiet. She brought down a few stray walkers as they ambled through the trees, but other than that, she saw only birds and squirrels. No car. No Daryl. No Carol.

As night fell she climbed down and found Michonne sitting alone on the church's steps She was holding her sword and staring at it, lost in thought. Eve sat down beside her.

"You know," Michonne said, still looking at her sword. "I used to do fencing in high school. All state champion two years running. My boyfriend used to tease me...he'd say, I'd better be careful around you, Michonne, I've seen you with a sword." She chuckled softly. "He was a good man. Even in the end, when I hated him more than I've ever hated anything...he was still a good man." She looked over at Eve, her eyes shining. "This is the sword I used on him, after he turned. I was almost happy I lost it."

Eve didn't know what to say. She watched Michonne twisting the sword hilt in her hand absently.

"How'd you come to be so good at that?" Michonne asked after a few moments, pointing at Eve's bow.

Surprised, Eve hesitated. She'd never really talked about this before. It was...private. But she looked over at Michonne and realized Michonne had just told her something private too. She took a deep breath.

"I didn't know a thing about using a bow before," Eve said. She held out the old green hunting bow and examined it. "Never even touched one. But after everything happened, I went home. I grew up in Elmerton, a small town just outside of Atlanta." Eve laughed humorlessly, "I must have been the only crazy soul actually trying to leave the city. But I just had to see if my mother was okay, you know? She lived alone, and things hadn't gone completely to hell yet, but they were getting there. All the phone lines were down, and I couldn't just leave her. But by the time I got there…" Eve blinked a few times, clearing her mind of those painful memories. "She'd been bit somehow. Just a single bite on her arm. But of course, that was enough. She'd turned and when I got there, she was...eating the cat."

Michonne's face shone with sympathy.

"I stayed at my house for a while...not really sure what to do. My parents got divorced a while ago, and my dad took all of his hunting gear with him. Or so I thought. I found this in the basement, " Eve held up the bow. "It was his old one, I guess. But I started to practice with it. I'd sit on the roof and shoot down walkers as they got close. I was horrible at first, but then it got easier. I got better."

Michonne nodded. "I used to-" She was cut off by a rustling in the trees. Both she and Eve tensed and stood. Michonne unsheathed her sword in one fluid motion, while Eve cocked an arrow. Together they approached the rustling.

Out of the woods a figure emerged. "Daryl," Eve breathed, utterly relieved.

"Where's Carol," Michonne said, once she realized he was alone.

Daryl hesitated. He looked over his shoulder at someone neither woman could see. "Come on out," he said.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Sorry it has taken me so long to update. I've been a little under the weather lately and writing has taken a backseat. Anyway, Walker's Eve continues! This is the hospital that I predicted before the show's premiere. I must say I was pretty disappointed with the lack of purpose the hospital had on the show. An also the lack of menace. Were they really bad? Were they good? I didn't get it. And it wasn't intriguing enough to be a conflict of morals, etc etc. Anyway, I don't think I am alone in my complete disappointment in the midseason finale. Rest assured, there will be a Bethyl reunion in this fic for the books! I just feel like she was killed off in the laziest way possible. It was like the writers wanted shock value and made a cherished character's death completely unnecessary. So disappointing. Anyway, here's what's going on with Eve. Enjoy!**

Chapter Eleven: The Mothers

Eve had to stifle a gasp when she saw who Daryl was talking to. Out of the trees emerged six or seven women. But that's not what shocked her. As she fully took in the features of the young women before them, her eyes settled on the rounded swells that were their stomachs. They were all pregnant.

Eve took a step back. "Daryl, who-?" Eve looked to Michonne who was standing there open mouthed.

"Come, on," Daryl said. "I'll explain inside."

Eve and Michonne followed Daryl and the girls dumbly up the church steps and into the sanctuary. Inside, the remaining group was winding down for the night. They all sat up when Daryl entered.

"Rick!" Daryl called, not bothering to with pleasantries. Eve stepped inside after the last pregnant girl, her eyes wide as she took in the girls in. They were all dirty and sported various injuries. One held her arm as if was broken. All of them had weapons.

Rick stood slowly. "Daryl..?" He looked around at the girls as they filed in.

Daryl took a deep breath before speaking. "We found Beth," he said.

Eve didn't know who Beth was, but judging by the reactions from the rest of the group, she quickly realized she was someone important.

"She's alive?" Rick asked.

Daryl nodded.

"What happened?"

Dary took a deep breath before delving into his story. "Two nights ago Carol and I were out by the road. We'd found a car and Carol was gonna take off. I guess she didn't feel right staying here after what went down at the prison with Karen and David. I was trying to convince her to stay when we saw a car drive past. It was the same car that took Beth. So we went after it and it led us all the way into Atlanta. We followed the car to a hospital where they opened the doors and took a young girl out of the back seat. She was unconscious and the whole thing just didn't feel right. So Carol and I snuck in and the first thing we saw was this one tryin' to escape." He pointed to one the pregnant girls. She was tall and pretty and looked tough as hell. Her hair was dark brown and hung in a long braid. Somehow her swollen belly only made her look fiercer.

"That place is sick," she inserted, her eyes glaring at everyone, as if daring her them to question her.

Daryl nodded in agreement. "Turns out, the place is like a breeding ground. They are snatchin' up young girls and makin' them have babies so they can experiment on them. "

Eve's stomach lurched in disgust. Would this brutal world ever stop surprising her?

"Anyway," Daryl went on. "Manuella said she knew Beth. Said she was brought there a few weeks ago. She figured out a way to get Beth to meet us in an abandoned part of the hospital. Beth's okay, but she wouldn't come with us. She said she had to stay to make sure the rest of the girls got out. She made us promise to take these girls and then come back for the rest."

"We have a plan," Manuella spoke again. She was clearly the leader of the girls. Though she looked no older than the others, perhaps 18 or 19 years old, she spoke with authority. "The place is run by this crazy bitch named Dawn. She thinks all this is for the greater good. That her doctors are on the verge of discovering some sort of cure. But she's delusional. The only thing that is going on in that hospital is rape and infanticide." She glared again at the group. "For some reason Dawn has made Beth her little pet. She takes her everywhere. If Beth can find a way to kill Dawn and make it look like an accident, the whole thing will crumble. "

"How many?" Rick asked. "How many girls are left at the hospital?"

"Seven," Manuella answered automatically. "Not including Beth."

"And Carol?" Tyrese asked. "Where is she?"

"She stayed behind with a van to make sure the girls had a getaway if Beth managed to pull off the plan before we got back. She's safe," Daryl confirmed.

Rick closed his eyes and squeezed his nose as if he had a headache. Eve couldn't blame him. What in the world could they do with fifteen pregnant teenagers? Having one baby was hard enough.

"Daryl-" he started.

"I know," Daryl interrupted. "I know this is bad. But I couldn't just leave a bunch of little girls behind to get raped. That ain't right, and you know it."

"But what are we going to do when the babies come?" Rick asked desperately. "You remember what happened to Lori-" his voice caught and he looked away. Daryl didn't say anything. He didn't need to.

Manuella spoke up. "If you think we'll die in childbirth, you're wrong. We've all done this before."

There was a silence as all eyes turned to her. She jutted her chin up, not ashamed or afraid. "This is my third pregnancy. My _third_. I can handle delivering it in the woods if I have to." The other girls nodded in agreement.

"What happened to the babies?" Michonne asked quietly. Her eyes were fearful, haunted.

Manuella's eyes went dark. "They took them. We never even got to hold them."

Rick closed his eyes before looking at the girls. They were so young. So, so young. One looked to be around Carl's age and Eve saw Rick take a visible step back as he took them all in. "I can't promise you safety," he finally told them. "But I can promise you a chance." He looked at Daryl. "We'll leave in the morning. We'll get Beth back. We'll get them all out."

...

That night the group did their best to make the pregnant girls comfortable. It turned out that escaping hadn't been easy and they'd been met with both walker and human threats as they left the hospital. Eve inspected a few wounds. Most were shallow cuts and bruises, but everyone was worried about Missy, the girl with the broken arm.

"How did this happen?" Eve asked, horrified at the violence done to these women.

"I was the last one out," Missy explained. She was a blonde girl who was probably very pretty once. "And Officer Jackson grabbed my arm and slammed it in the door. He thought it would slow me down, but I just yanked it out and ran." She seemed proud of herself, despite her mangled limb.

"I don't know how to set this," Eve said in despair. She wasn't a doctor. Wasn't even a nurse like she lied. She'd been to nursing school but dropped out after the first semester.

"If only Bob were here," Sasha said sadly. "He was medic in the army. He'd know what to do."

"Let me take a look," Father Gabriel said. With gentle hands he prodded at the girl's arm. "It seems to be a clean break. I can set it." He looked at Missy for permission. She bit her lip and nodded.

The next fifteen minutes were agony for poor Missy, but with Eve's help, father Gabriel was able to set the bone and wrap it tightly. Eve wished she had something give the girl for the pain, but there was nothing. Gabriel lay the girl down on the couch in his office and shut the door.

"You're just full of surprises," Eve said.

Gabriel gave her a crooked smile. "I wasn't always a priest."

"I kind of gathered that."

"Eve, can you come here?" Rick called from across the room. He and Michonne were hunched over a map discussing tactics for tomorrow.

"Yeah?" Eve answered, stepping over.

Rick looked up at her with haunted eyes. "I'd like you to stay here tomorrow when we go to Atlanta. You, Michonne and and Father Gabriel will stay behind and protect the girls, Carl and Judith."

Eve frowned. She didn't mind staying behind, but she had an itchy feeling that this was becoming a theme with Rick. She would forever be used as a glorified babysitter. "Listen, I don't mind going to Atlanta if you need me. I can help. I'm a good shot and I'm smart."

Rick gave her an amused look. "Eve, that's exactly why I want you to stay behind. I need people here I can trust. And with all these recently raped girls...I can't see how leaving males behind would be comforting. I figure you, Michonne and a priest would be less threatening."

Eve nodded. He had a point. "You're right," she said.

She left Rick and Michonne to resume their whispering and meandered back over to the girls. Manuella was sitting on a pew eating from a can of corn and talking to her friends quietly.

"Mind if I join?" Eve asked. Manuella gave her a once over before nodding. Eve sat down on the ground next to a black girl with a shaved head.

"I'm Eve," she told the group. She figured after meeting so many people they could use the refresher.

"I'm Sarah," the black girl said. She rubbed her full belly as if it pained her. She was so thin that the pregnancy looked alien on her.

The girls each took turns introducing themselves. The littlest one had short brown hair and freckles. Her name was McKayla and she said she was fourteen. _Fourteen_. Eve tried to keep her face neutral but couldn't hide her pain. It was mirrored on the faces around her. Next was Jana, a green eyed beauty with crooked teeth. She was quiet for the most part. Then came Grace, the redhead, who was the least far along. "Ten weeks," she stated. Jenny was the furthest along at thirty three weeks. She was large and uncomfortable, her feet obviously swollen and heavy.

Eve couldn't keep the pity off her face and she could see that Manuella despised it. "We're all fighters here," she said, her fierceness never wavering. "Before we were captured we had all made it out there on our own. We survived the dead ones when everything happened and then we survived it in there. Trust me when I say not all of the girls that got brought in did. We are strong. We are The Mothers."


End file.
